Switch



Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWITCH Samuel H.Melnick and Ill., assignors to A. B.

Paul B. Chapin, Chicago, T. Manufacturing Com- 4 Claims.

This invention relates to switch means therefor.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved switch which isrelatively simple and inexpensive in construction and efilcient in use.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an amusementapparatus embodying one or more pockets or compartments in which arearranged one or more movable articles such, for example, as dice, and toprovide a novel means for causing the dice to be projected upwardly intheir pockets or compartments so to afford amusement to the player andto change the number combinations on the upper faces of the dice afterthe same have been projected upwardly and come to rest.

A further object is the provision of novel switch mechanism forcontrolling the operation ofthe projecting means aforesaid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel device forprojecting the score-indicating members or dice, upwardly in theirpockets or compartments by action of the coin slide or actuating memberof a so-called pin and marble game, so that the player may, at the startof the playing operation, have an objective score for which to play, asindicated by the numerals on the upper faces of the dice after theprojecting operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partsto be hereinafter described and claimed, and will be best understood byreference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred form ofconstruction, and

in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view\of a game apparatus embodying a preferredform of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, and partly in elevation, showingcertain parts of the new apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the parts of the new apparatus shown inFig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, on line 5-5 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of anelectrical circuit embodied in theinvention.

The new switch is illustrated in conjunction with a game apparatus whichis shown in the drawing, and is therein generally indicated at I0. 'I'hegame comprises a cabinet II which includes an inclined playing board I2having 55 ball-receiving pockets I3 formed therein. Slidgame apparatus,and

ably mounted in the cabinet II, below the inclined playing board I2, isa ball-retaining member I4 in which are provided ball exit openings I5and these openings I5 are adapted to be registered with the pocketsI3'by movement of the ball-retaining member I4. Mounted on the ball- 5retaining member I4 are switches I6 which are normally disposed underthe pockets I3.

Provided in the cabinet II at the head or upper end of the inclinedplaying board I2 is an upright housing which is generally indicated at10 I1 and which has a transparent front wall I8. Formed in this housingI1 are pockets or compartments I9, 20, and 2| and arranged in each ofthese compartments I9, 20 and 2| are one or more movablescore-indicating members, such, 15 for example, as dice 22, 23 and 24respectively.

The bottom wall of the several pockets or compartments I9, 20, and 2| isformed by a ilexible diaphragm 25 which may be made of any materialwhich is suitable for the purpose such, 20 for example, as rubber or thelike.

Mounted in the housing I1, below the flexible wall 25 is a group ofelectromagnets or solenoids l 26, 21 and 28 which are arranged,respectively, below the pockets or compartments I9, 20 and 25 2|, eachof these electromagnets or solenoids 26, 21 and 28 having a movableelement 29, and these movable elements 29 being engageable with theexible wall 25, for a reason to be explained presently.

The solenoids 26, 21 and 29 are arranged in an electrical circuit 30(Fig. 6), which includes i a suitable source of current 3|, vwhich maybe, for example, a battery of dry cells or the like arranged in thecabinet II. Also embodied in 35 the circuit 30 is a group of relativelystationary contacts 32, 33 and 34 which are mounted on the bottom sideof the inclined playing board I2 and engageable successively with thesecontacts 32,

33 and 34 is a contact roller 5| which is carried 40 by a pivotal bar41.

Mounted in the cabinet I I, below the inclined playing board I2, is adash pot 36 which includes a movable element or slidable piston rod 31and provided in one edge of this piston rod 31 45 is a notch or recess38. Engageable in this recess 38 is the end portion 39 of a latch member40 which is pivotally mounted, between its ends, as at 4I, (Fig. 4),below the inclined playing board I2, the end portion 39 of the latchmember 40 being urged into latching engagement With the notch 38 by aspring 42.

Engageable with an end portion 43 of the latch member 40 is a projectingportion 44 of 55 a member 45 which is attached to, and is carried by,the slidable ball-retaining member I4.

The bar 41 is pivotally connected at one end. by a pin 46, to the pistonrod 31 of the dash pot 36 and mounted on the inclined playing board l2.on the bottom side thereof, is a stationary elliptical cam 35 (Fig. 4).Attached to the pin 46 and normally urging the piston rod 31 intoextended position (right to left, Fig. 4) is a coil spring 48 andattached to the bar 41, at one end thereof, is a coil spring 4-9.Likewise attached to the bar 41, on the opposite side of the same fromthe spring 49, is a coil spring 52.

Arranged in the upright housing I1 is a group of score-indicating lamps5B which are adapted to be illuminated by the switches I6.

Operation The ball-retaining member I6 is adapted to be moved intoball-releasing position (left to right, Figs. 2 and 4) by the action ofthe coin slide or actuating member which is movably mounted in a wall ofthe cabinet Ii, (not shown) in a manner which is well understood in theart. 25 When the slidable ball-retaining member Iii is moved intoball-releasing position (left to right, Figs. 2 and 4), the arm 45carried thereby will engage the pin 46 and thereby move the piston rod31 of the dash pot 36 (left to right, Fig. 4), against the action of itsresetting spring 48. During this operation the spring 42 acts upon thelatch member 40 to pivot the end portion 39 thereof into latchingengagement with the notched portion or recess 38 in the piston rod 31,thereby latching the piston rod 31 in inwardly extended position,against the action of its resetting spring 48.

This movement of the piston rod 31 also moves the bar 41 (left to right,Fig. 4) and during this operation the contact roller 5I, which iscarried by the bar 41, rides over the peripheral edge of the stationaryelliptical cam 35 (counterclockwise, Fig. 4), thereby tensioning thespring 49.

Accordingly, when the coin slide or actuating member (not shown), andthe slidable ballretaining member i6, are released for return to theirinitial positions (right to left, Fig. 4), in a manner which is wellunderstood in the art, the depending portion 44 of the member 45 will 50engage the end portion 43 of the latch member 40 and thereby pivot thelatter, at 4I (clockwise, Fig. 4), thus moving the end portion 39 of.the latter member d@ out of latching engagement with the notched portionor recess 39 in the pis- 55 ton rod 31 of the dash pot 36, whereupon thetensioned resetting spring 49 will move the piston rod 31 and the bar 41attached thereto back into their initial positions (right to left, Fig.4). During this movement of the bar d1 (right to left, 60 Fig. 4) thesame will be pivoted, at 46, (clockwise, Fig. 4) by the tensioned spring49, thereby causing the contact roller 5I carried thereby to ride overthe peripheral edge of the elliptical cam 35, on the upper peripheraledge thereof, as seen 65 in Fig. 4. During this operation the contactroller 5I will successively engage the stationary contacts 32, 33,and 34and will thus successively close the circuit 3d (Fig. 6) to thesolenoids 26, 21 and 28. 70 When the circuit 3@ tothe solenoid 2t isthus closed, by the engagement of the contact roller 5I with thestationary contact 32,' the movable element 29 of the solenoid 26 willbe projected upwardly into engagement with that portion of 75 theflexible diaphragm 25 which is arranged ben low the pocket I9 (Fig. 1),thereby projecting the dice 22 upwardly in the pocket I9. Similarly,when the circuit 30 is closed to the solenoid 21, by

the engagement of the contact roller 6| with the stationary contact 33,the movable element 29 of the solenoid 21 will be raised into engagementwith that portion of the exible diaphragm 25 which is arranged below thepocket 20, thereby projecting the dice 23 upwardly'in the pocket 20.

Similarly, when the circuit 30 to the solenoid 28 is closed, by theengagement of the contact roller 5I with the stationary contact 34, themovable element 29 of the solenoid 29 will be raised into engagementwith that portion of the ilexible diaphragm 25 which is arranged belowthe pocket 2i, and the latter will be flexed to project the dice 24upwardly in the pocket 2l.

When the dice are thus projected upwardly in their pockets orcompartments I9, 2i) and 2| they not only aiord amusement to the player.but also indicate, by the markings on the upper faces of. the dice 22'when the same come to rest, an objective score for which the player mayplay by playing balls into the pockets I3; it being noted that whenballs are played into the pockets I3 they will close the switches IS toilluminate the score-indicating lamp 56.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred formofconstruction for carrying our invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modiiication, without departing from the spirt of theinvention. We, therefore, do not wish to be limited` to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of suchvariations and modications as come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A switch including an elliptically-shaped guide blockof insulatingmaterial, a switch arm mounted for reciprocable movement relative tosaid block, acontact roller on said arm, spring means normally urgingsaid arm and the contact thereof in a position at one side of saidblock, and means cooperable with said last-mentioned spring means foreecting guided movement of said contact around and against said blockwhen said arm is reciprocated, said last-mentioned means including apair of divergent spring members attached to said arm adjacent saidcontact and anchored at their respective extremities opposite the pointof attachment to said arm, said. block having iixed contact meansdisposed along one side thereof for contacting engagement by saidcontact on the arm when the latter is reciprocated, the said severalspring members being cooperable during such reciprocation to eiect themovement of the contact on said arm in a circuit around said ellipticalblock for operative engagement with said fixed contact means.

2. A switch including a xed ellipticallyshaped guide block, a dashpotincluding a reciprocable piston rod, a switch arm pivotally attached atone of its extremities to said piston rod and having an extendingcontact adjacent its opposite extremity, spring means attached to tactand operable when said arm is reciprocated to effect the guided movementof said extending contact around said block in transient engagement withsaid fixed contact means.

3. A switch including a fixed ellipticallyshaped guide block, a dashpotincluding a reciprocable piston rod, a switch arm pivotally attached atone of its extremities to said piston rod and having an extendingcontact adjacent its opposite extremity, spring means attached to saidswitch arm at a point adjacent its pivotal connection with said pistonrod and adapted normally to position said extending contact at one sideof said block, xed contact means disposed on a side of said blockopposite to the aforesaid normal position of the extending contact, andspring means attached to said switch arm at a point near said extendingcontact and operable when said arm is reciprocated to eifect the guidedmovement of said extending contact around said block in transientengagement with said fixed contact means, together with means forlatching said piston rodin retracted position away from the normalposition aforesaid.

4. A switch including a support, an elliptical guide block attached tosaid support, a first reciprocable arm and a switch arm pivotallyattached thereto and having a laterally extending contact roller, springmeans attached adjacent the juncture of said switch arm and saidreciprocable arm and anchored on said support for normally urging saidswitch arm and the contact thereof in a position at one side of saidblock, a plurality of fixed contacts disposed along one side of saidblock for engagement by said roller contact, a pair of divergentlyextending springs each anchored to said support and attached to saidswitch arm at a point near said roller contact, the same being operableto effect the guided movement of said roller contact around said blockand into successive engagement with said fixed contacts when said arm isreciprocated, a reciprocable actuating member operable when moved in onedirection to retract said first-mentioned reciprocable arm against thetension of said first-mentioned spring means for automatically latchingsaid first-mentioned reciprocable arm in retracted position asaforesaid, said actuating member being operable when moved in anopposite direction to release said latching means to permit saidfirst-mentioned reciprocable member and said switch arm to return tonormal position.

SAMUEL H. MELNICK.. PAUL B. CHAPIN.

